The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)

Introduction

The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment was raised by the Earl of Peterborough in 1661 to garrison Tangier. This formed part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, on becoming Queen Consort to Charles II.

From 1751 to 1881, the regimental title was the 2nd (Queen's Royal) Regiment.

On 1 July 1881 it became the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. A second battalion was raised in 1857.

In 1921 the title changed to the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey).

In 1959, the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) amalgamated with the East Surrey Regiment to form the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment.

The 1st Royal West Surrey Regiment had an average strength of 838 men. It had 758 admissions (904.3/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 4 deaths (4.77/1000 mean strength). 24 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 49.74 (59.36/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 21.06 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 23.95 days.

The 1st/Royal West Surrey Regiment was quartered at Fort Verdala Barracks for 10 months and Notre Dame Barracks Floriana for 2 months.

The 1st/Royal West Surrey Regiment had an average strength of 947 men. It had 617 admissions (705.6/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 4 deaths (4.36/1000 mean strength). 7 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 47.49 (51.78/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 18.90 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 26.79 days.

The 1st/Royal West Surrey Regiment was quartered at Floriana Barracks and Notre Dame Barracks Floriana for 12 months.

1 Jan 1930 Strength: 28 officers and 839 men. The band of the 1st/Queen's Royal regiment visited the grounds of the military hospital Mtarfa.

Oct The 1st Battalion embarked for China. It was relieved by the 2nd/Worcestershire regiment which arrived on the Neuralia.

The 2nd/The 2nd (Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot

1800–1801

Dec 1800 The 2nd (Queen's Royal) Regiment arrived at Malta in December 1800 as part of Sir Ralph Abercrombie's Expedition to expel the French from Egypt. It did not form part of the garrison but embarked with the army on 10 December 1800 when it formed part of Brigadier General Doyle's 4th Brigade. The Battalion left Egypt for Gibraltar via Malta, where 90 officers and men were struck by the yellow fever epidemic of 1804.

The 2nd/The 2nd (Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot

26 July 1877 The 2nd Battalion embarked at Portsmouth from Aldershot. It disembarked in Malta on 6 August 1877.

The 2nd/2nd Foot had an average strength of 343 men. It had 573 admissions (1670.3/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 2 deaths (5.83/1000 mean strength). It had 2 invalids returned to England. Its average daily sick was 26.29 (76.65/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 27.97 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 16.75 days.

In Aug 1877, the sudden arrival of the 2nd/2nd, and the 2nd/13th Regiments forced the Government to reoccupy of the Old Lazaretto Barracks and other buildings not hitherto in use. After the embarkation of the 2nd/2nd for India, the old Lazaretto Barracks on Manoel Island, which was unfit for habitation, was handed back to the Civil Government.

The 2nd/2nd Foot had an average strength of 87 men. It had 151 admissions (1735.6/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 1 death (11.49 deaths/1000 mean strength). 19 invalids were returned to England. Its average constantly sick was 10.09 (115.97/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 42.33 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 24.39 days.

6 Feb 1878 The 2nd/2nd Regiment embarked for Bombay where it disembarked on 1 Mar 1878.

1 July 1881 The 2nd/2nd Regiment became The 2nd Battalion The Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment.